What is a "share"?

"Shares" and "Engagements" are sometimes used to mean the same thing. But that's not quite right. Here, we define exactly what a "share" is.

Written by Alexis Lee Updated over a week ago

BuzzSumo monitors engagement across 4 major social platforms:

Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

Pinterest

Each one has a different way of calculating social engagement.

But before there were likes, comments, or upvotes to calculate, there were simply "shares."

A "share" is the act of posting a link to a piece of content, a webpage, or other web source on to a social media channel. The user has then, in effect, "shared" the article with his or her friends and followers.

When another person sees the post containing the link, they could either:

click on the link and then "share" the content in their own post

share the social post (and the included link)

In either instance, the article in question will have received a second share.

Social shares are important metrics to help determine whether the content you create is resonating with your audience.

Click here for information on "Facebook Engagements."Click here for information on "Reddit Engagements."